Hemispherical Poppet Valve For Rotary Screw Compressor Intake Valves

Abstract

A modulating intake valve having a low internal pressure drop used in conjunction with a gas compressor, including a valve body having a gas inlet and a gas outlet. A self modulating, hemispherical shaped poppet within the valve body moves closer or further from a valve seat to control the gas flow into the inlet and out of the outlet into the gas compressor. The hemispherical poppet valve functions as a check valve to close against the valve seat and prevent flow of gas and oil from the compressor through the valve body and out of the gas inlet. A modulating piston disposed in a cage located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. A control gas inlet port opens into a passageway to direct control gas to a space between the piston and the cage set to move the piston and hemispherical poppet valve at a given pressure.

1 . A modulating intake valve having a low internal pressure drop used in conjunction with a gas compressor, comprising:
 a valve body having a gas inlet and a gas outlet;   a self modulating, hemispherical shaped poppet within the valve body set to move closer or further from a valve seat to control the gas flow into the gas inlet and out of the gas outlet into the gas compressor;   the hemispherical poppet valve also functioning as a check valve to close against the valve seat and prevent back flow of gas and oil from the gas compressor through the valve body and out of the gas inlet;   a modulating piston disposed in a cage located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet; and   a control gas inlet port which opens into a passageway that can direct control gas to a space between the piston and the cage set to move the piston and the hemispherical poppet valve at a given pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 1  wherein a center structure extends from an interior side wall of the pressure valve, includes a cage to hold the piston, which reciprocates therein, and a cage closure member. 
     
     
         3 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 2  wherein the cage has a bottom surface with an indentation depressed below the bottom surface of the cage. 
     
     
         4 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 3  wherein there is an enclosed space formed by the indentation depressed below the bottom surface of the cage, and the bottom surface of the piston. 
     
     
         5 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 4  wherein a cage closure member is mounted to the bottom surface of the cage and includes an aperture to receive a housing, which extends outward from an upper surface of the piston. 
     
     
         6 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 5  wherein one end of a modulating spring is disposed within the cage closure member, and the other end of the modulating spring engages an upper end of the piston so that the piston is normally biased towards the bottom surface of the cage. 
     
     
         7 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 6  wherein a hollow rod is reciprocally received within a bore through the center structure, and through a housing, which is secured to and extends outward from the upper surface of piston, whereby the rod can reciprocate in the bore as the poppet valve modulates gas flow into the gas compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 7  wherein a bleed opening is formed in the hollow rod so that gas captured in the hollow rod is allowed to escape when the poppet style check valve modulates. 
     
     
         9 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 8  wherein the poppet valve is shaped substantially as a hemisphere with a seal lip, wherein the seal lip is designed to seal against an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         10 . The modulating intake valve of  claim 9 , further including a top surface of the poppet valve being flat as compared to the hemispherical shape of an outer side surface of the valve. 
     
     
         11 . A rotary-screw type, compressor system, comprising:
 an inlet conduit through which gas is drawn through and directed into a rotary-screw type, compressor;   an exit conduit through which a mixture of compressed gas and oil is directed from the compressor to a separator tank for separating the mixture of compressed gas and oil from the compressor housing into separated oil and compressed gas;   an oil return conduit for directing the separated oil in the separator tank back to the rotary-screw type, compressor;   an exhaust conduit for directing the separated gas in the separator tank out of the rotary-screw type, compressor system;   a control valve connected by a pressure line to the separator tank to direct control gas to a modulating intake valve in response to the compressed gas in the separator tank;   the modulating intake valve having a valve body with a gas inlet and a gas outlet and a low internal pressure drop to be used in conjunction with the rotary-screw type, gas compressor;   the valve body including a self modulating, hemispherical shaped poppet valve set to move closer or further from a valve seat to control the gas flow into the gas inlet and out of the gas outlet into the gas compressor;   the hemispherical poppet valve also functioning as a check valve to close against the valve seat and prevent back flow of gas and oil from gas compressor through the valve body and out of the gas inlet;   a modulating piston disposed in a cage located between the gas inlet and the gas outlet; and   a control gas inlet port which opens into a passageway that can direct control gas to a space between the piston and the cage set to move the piston and the hemispherical poppet valve at a given pressure.   
     
     
         12 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 11  wherein a center structure extends from an interior side wall of the pressure valve, includes a cage to hold the piston, which reciprocates therein, and a cage closure member. 
     
     
         13 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 12  wherein the cage has a bottom surface with an indentation depressed below the bottom surface of the cage. 
     
     
         14 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 13  wherein there is an enclosed space formed by the indentation depressed below the bottom surface of the cage, and the bottom surface of the piston. 
     
     
         15 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 14  wherein a cage closure member is mounted to the bottom surface of the cage and includes an aperture to receive a housing, which extends outward from an upper surface of the piston. 
     
     
         16 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 15  wherein one end of a modulating spring is disposed within the cage closure member, and the other end of the modulating spring engages an upper end of the piston so that the piston is normally biased towards the bottom surface of the cage. 
     
     
         17 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 16  wherein a hollow rod is reciprocally received within a bore through the center structure, and through a housing, which is secured to and extends outward from the upper surface of piston, whereby the rod can reciprocate in the bore as the poppet valve modulates gas flow into the gas compressor. 
     
     
         18 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 17  wherein a bleed opening is formed in the hollow rod so that gas captured in the hollow rod is allowed to escape when the poppet style check valve modulates. 
     
     
         19 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 18  wherein the poppet valve is shaped substantially as a hemisphere with a seal lip, wherein the seal lip is designed to seal against an O-ring seal. 
     
     
         20 . The rotary-screw type, compressor system of  claim 19 , further including a top surface of the poppet valve being flat as compared to the hemispherical shape of an outer side surface of the valve.